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International Launch of 1001 Inventions Touring Exhibition

On 25th and 26th May 2010 the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and 1001 Inventions Ltd. held a high profile academic conference and a global launch of the highly successful interactive exhibition 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World, at the Science Museum in London

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Figure 1: Global Launch of "1001 Inventions" Exhibition at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday 25th May 2010. Guests attending the Global Launch enjoy the festivities.

On 25th and 26th May 2010 the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC) and 1001 Inventions Ltd. held a high profile academic conference and a global launch of the highly successful interactive exhibition 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World, at the Science Museum in London.

The international launch of the 1001 Inventions touring exhibition was an overwhelming success. On Tuesday 25th May, FSTC was honoured to host over 400 guests at London's Science Museum, who were given important news about the future of the 1001 Inventions initiative and enjoyed the opportunity of exploring the exhibition.

Figure 2: Global Launch of "1001 Inventions" Exhibition at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday 25th May 2010. Guests attending the Global Launch enjoy the festivities.

After closing its run at the London Science Museum on 30th June 2010, the 1001 Inventions exhibition will begin a high profile world tour, starting in Istanbul. The launch celebrated this move with a handover ceremony in which Lord William Waldegrave, Chairman of the Science Museum, passed a model of Al-Jazari's 12th century Scribe Clock to His Excellency Minister Kerem Kiratli as a symbolic handover of the 1001 Inventions exhibition from the city of London to the city of Istanbul.

Figure 3: Global Launch of "1001 Inventions" Exhibition at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday 25th May 2010. Left to right: Professor Salim Al-Hassani (Chairman of FSTC and 1001 Inventions) and Lord William Waldegrave (Chairman of the Science Museum, London) hand over a model of Al-Jazari's 12th-century Scribe Clock to Minister Kerem Kiratli of the Turkish Republic, as a symbolic handover of the 1001 Inventions exhibition from London to the City of Istanbul.

Speaking at the event, His Excellency Minister Kerem Kiratli, of the Turkish Republic, announced that the city of Istanbul would be hosting the exhibition and said "we welcome 1001 Inventions as part of the Istanbul European Capital City of Culture celebrations."

Figure 4: Dr. John K. Whittlesey, US Embassy in London, UK

Dr John K. Whittlesey, from the US Embassy in London, spoke of the importance of inspiring youth to pursue careers in science and announced that the exhibition would in the future embark on a North American tour. He concluded by saying: "On behalf of the United States, we welcome 1001 Inventions."

FSTC was also proud to host a high profile academic conference entitled 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World over 25th and 26th May in the Directors Suite at the London Science Museum. The conference brought together many national and international dignitaries and academic scholars to share, celebrate, and propel their studies in the vital arena of Muslim Heritage.

The conference was hosted over two sessions and focused on the following topics: Enriching the educational curriculum in various countries, Cultural inter-appreciation around the world, Women of science in Muslim heritage, The Environment, and Transmission and translation of knowledge.

Many highly respected scholars spoke at the event, which hosted 20 speakers and more than 130 delegates over the two days. The conference concluded with a special lecture by the world renowned historian of science, George Saliba, Professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies at Columbia University, New York. His talk, entitled "Arabic Science in the Earliest Italian Scientific Academies", was exceptionally well received and sparked a great deal of discussion among delegates.

Figure 5: Professor Salim T S Al-Hassani, Chairman of FSTC and 1001 Inventions, welcomes the guests in the opening session of the launch.

As part of the celebrations, Professor Salim T S Al-Hassani, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of FSTC, was pleased to announce a new venture in the field of cross-cultural education and understanding.

Figure 6: Global Launch of "1001 Inventions" Exhibition at the Science Museum in London on Tuesday 25th May 2010. Guests attending the Global Launch enjoy the festivities.

Following the success of the 1001 Inventions global initiative, which has established itself in the fields of publishing, exhibitions, educational products, online education, and award-winning cinema, FSTC is now launching an international Muslim Heritage Social Fund to support numerous educational projects around the world.

This fund will provide financial, academic, and management support for large and small initiatives that work to increase awareness and understanding of the cultural heritage we share with the rest of humanity.

Following this hugely successful international launch and conference, FSTC and 1001 Inventions now look forward to witnessing the exhibition gather momentum and extend its message of cross-cultural engagement to millions more people on a global scale as it embarks on its world tour.

Figure 7: Prof. George Saliba (Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science at Columbia University) admires the model of Al-Jazari's Elephant Clock at the entrance to the "1001 Inventions" Exhibition.